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Marvel: 2010-05-30 - Pushing the Limits
=Location Description= Alex Summers' Impala A beauty of a classic muscle car, or it would be if it wasn't currently paitned a slate-grey a la primer, with rust atop the canopy of it. At the least, the engine is up to snuff again, a soft rumble underneath the hood of the vehicle. Its a '67, if someone has an eye for that sort of thing, coupe. The interior seems better maintained, with the soft leather looking only slighted cracked, and a very old looking radio sitting in the center console, blemished by the signs of age upon its once chrome knobs. The steering wheel has been wrapped entirely in black electrical tape, providing a firm, if sun-heated, grip for the driver. Both front and back seats are bench, with the front seats able to lean forward to allow someone into the backseats. * Players ** Jonothon ** Alex Summers ** Andrea * Exits ** RP Suites =Character Descriptions= Andrea Ann Tellierra Tall for a woman, this young lady stands just shy of six feet when in flats, and has a mature enough look and curves most would take her for her late teens, just under twenty years of age. She has a long, full mane of lustrous raven black hair which tumbles smoothly down to frame her face, over her shoulders and down to mid-back. Her face is a natural oval with high cheekbones, full lips, a narrow pert nose and raven dark sculpted eyebrows over deep crystal blue eyes framed by long dark eyelashes. Her neck is gracefully slim, shoulders broad but natural for her height, lending balance to her toned and trim unfairly hourglass figure. When she speaks, it is a warm, cultured soprano tone with clean diction. To be honest, this young woman is gorgeous, the sort of looks one would associate with (non-anorexic) supermodels and actresses. Say, isn't she familiar? Currently this young woman is dressed casually in a tightly fitted scarlet red t-shirt with a low but still modest scoop neckline, long enough it could almost tuck in but isn't, perhaps flashing only a hint of skin on her tummy as she moves. She wears a pair of hip-hugger designer blue denim jeans with beadwork along the outer seams, on both back pockets, echoed in the loose, decoration-only beaded leather belt slung through the loops. She's wearing a pair of modestly heeled open-toe mules in scarlet red on her feet. A small black leather backpack rides one shoulder, with an obvious iPhone in a pouch mounted on the strap. Alex Summers This young man seems to be the epitome of a All-American. His head is topped with swirling dishelved golden blonde hair, short on the sides and brushedforward, sparsely. A complexion of darkened pink, tinged lightly with scarletthrough the cheeks almost constantly. The locks of blonde hair tend to obscurethe crystal clear blue eyes that rest behind them. He is built lean, blessed with a runner's physique that must be accompanied bya good metabolism. Tall though, cresting to about six feet tall. The young manseems like the athletic type, one to be picked first for football or something. Someone must have caught Alex sleeping or something, considering the way he is dressed. Upon his upper body, he wears a white shirt, affectionately known as a 'wifebeater'. Its straps leave leave muscular arms exposed, as well as his lightly freckled shoulders from too much sun. There is very little fat on him it seems, flat stomach covered by white cotton. Riding low on his hips is a pair of board shorts, black with grey dragons running down the sides, then around the hem that hangs just past his knees. Grey strings are tied tightly below his navel, to get those shorts from sliding off after he falls off his board, or bed, wherever he happened to be. Jonothon Starsmore Standing at five foot ten inches or so, this young man is in his late teens, and a touch on the slender side. If unkind you could say he's skinny. In spite of the fact he could use some weight, and he's a large nose, He is often seen as traditionally handsome. Square jaw, expressive features, fair skin. His eyes are dark, intense things, which at times reflect an unseen luminescence, setting dark brown aflame. His hair is a dark shade of auburn and long enough to touch the tops of his shoulders. It's rather uncombed however, mussed at the best of times. Clad all in back, from the thick leather jacket hanging from his shoulders, to the dark jeans and the heavy, battered black boots he wears, the dark does nothing to add bulk to his frame. Scott Summers This young man is easily 6'3" but still appears youthful. His brown hair is cut short, and parted in the middle, hanging down to his ear and with a swept back look likely from the number of times the guy runs his hand through his hair. His face is long with a narrow nose. His eyes are hidden by strange, thick red sunglasses which are really made from a ruby-quartz. His expression is usually serious or withdrawn, but when he smiles it changes his appearance from young-20s to late-teen. He is built though not overly bulky. This man certainly has a set of arms on him and a muscled back and chest, which is shown off by the ribbed black, sleeveless top he wears. It fits him snugly, revealing the possibility of a six pack as well. Hanging on his lean hips is a pair of worn blue jeans. The top his tucked into the jeans and a black leather belt loops through the belt loops, a silver buckle on the front. He wears heavy duty black combat boots. They appear scuffed up and as if they have seen much better days. =Begin Scene= Sunday rolls around, and Alex missed most of the commotion of his own grill-out. Alas. But now Jono and Alex have spent the better part of the afternoon tweaking on the engine some. It wasn't driveable, to Alex's standards anyways, until the electrical was wired up to get the radio working, which is has just been achieved! "Success, good sir, success." Covered in grease, Jonothon rolls his eyes at Alex, but in amusement. He wouldn't have wanted the car without the radio either. The young man tosses the screwdriver he'd been using down into the tools to clean pile, for Scott is anal about clean, and straightens. Hours of hunching over take a toll. << Scott's going to be upset to miss this. >> Mindful of how the elder brother feels. Saying this, he heads to the sink to wash off a layer or two of grime. Old engines are never pretty. Aware of where the boys are and what they are up to, Andrea has not yet interrupted. Truth is, after yesterday afternoon's ending in fiasco, the tall raven-haired 'day student' has been staying quite firmly and safely holed up in her guest room, studying. All the better to avoid another confrontation. She ended up spending nearly an hour in the isolation chamber last night before she could go home safely, her powers threatening to suck up more energy than she could safely contain. She does not want a repeat of that today. But she always checks on Jonothon when she can. It's a force of habit. And the garage is a spot she likes to check on with those unusual gifts of hers. Eye candy, even without eyes in the mix. Alex has stepped out of his coveralls now, they're kicked into a locker underneath the workbench. After the coveralls thump satisfactorily into the locker, he moves to the sink to begin washing his hands. "I think we need to take her around the block a few times....check the suspension, ya'know? Don't lemme go by myself, Jono." The radio is set to a classic rock station, with Stevie Ray Vaughn coming up with 'Pride and Joy', which sets Alex to humming. Eyeing stuff being kicked around, the Brit says nothing of it. Hopefully Scott won't notice. Sure it's not Jonothon's doing, but he's likely to be the one to have to deal with Scott's panties in a bunch. << Heh. >> About not going alone. That isn't a problem. << Alright. Let me finish here. I'm going to get grease everywhere if I don't clean up. >> WHich doesn't honestly take long. The teen sheds one of his outer tshirts, hanging it on a peg on the wall. Beneath is, of course, another black tshirt. Even in summer he wears layers, including a leather jacket. Alex's latest pronouncement - keep in mind, Andrea cannot hear Jonothon's telepathic additions to the conversation without being closer, to pick up the 'transmissions' the way he intends - perks Andrea's mental ears. Uh-oh. Alex will get in trouble, and Scott won't be pleased with Jonothon either. (And yes, that really is her first thought.) A bookmark for her place in her textbook on radio wave analysis, and then Andrea is scampering out the door of the guest room and down the stairs, rather neatly avoiding Oa and others from yesterday as she heads for the front grounds and the garage. As it is, it'll still likely be almost too late before she arrives, even with as much scrubbing as both need to do to get the grease off their hands. Alex doesn't take too long..he let Jono do most of the grimy work, such a bad boy. He changes out of his grimy shirt and tucks that in with the rest of his grimy stuff into his locker, which he closes up tightly. Scott'll have to suck it, if he gets angry about bunched up dirty garage clothes. He walks around for a bit, singing along to SRV, "Yeah I love my baby, heart and soul, with a love like ours, won't never grow old." Thankfully, he is *far* from terrible, an unexpectedly amazing voice. He leans over the front seat and digs out a clean baseball jersey undershirt and pulls it over his head. "Just around the block, I swear." Said as he plops into the driver's sea and digs the keys from his pocket. It's funny. Jonothon's thinking nearly the same thing. Scott isn't going to be pleased. Yet Jono doesn't attempt to stop Alex. He suggested they wait, but in being ignored he's not going to repeat it. Alex can do what he wants with his own car. Pulling on his jacket, pockets jangling somewhat, the Brit steps out of the garage. He'll get in after it's been started and pulls out. In said car if it erupts into smoke again is something he'll avoid. << I'll hold my breath in anticipation. >> Sarcasm there. Doesn't believe that for a moment. Come on, pull it out of the garage, Alex. As such, Jonothon will be the first to spot the just about sprinting form of long-legged Andrea, coming towards the garage from the Mansion. Jonothon knows her well, and could likely guess her motivation. And when Alex pulls out, she'll be right there with Jonothon, likely conversing quite silently with the Brit about the inadvisability of this. "Probably for the best." Alex being sensible? Not that sensible, since hes going to do it. He turns the car on and a roar, before it settles into a gentle rumble, he switchs into 1st gear and eases forward, turning towards the front garage door and moving just outside the garage. "See? All fine and dandy...oh. Andrea is gonna come with us?" Jonothon eyes the little lady as she looks at him so intently. Then with a sigh he establishes a link and talks with her about this. << What can I do, gel? Tie him up? It's his car, he can drive it where he wants, when he wants. If you're so worried, why not come along? >> With the shake of his auburn head, the brit climbs into the passenger seat. << Dunno yet. >> Settling in, he looks to Andrea. Well? Flustered but admitting that Jonothon may have a point, Andrea still tries to stop Alex. She leans on the window ledge of the driver's side door. "You do realize that your brother is going to be rather tweaked about this? We're not supposed to leave the grounds without telling them." Yes. Andrea is a goody-two-boots. Go figure. But when she realizes she can't stop Alex - she tries, darnit! - she runs around to the passenger side, and opens the door, ready to slide in beside Jonothon. Isn't being a teeanger fun? Logic? What's that?! Alex Summers looks out towards Andrea in rather awed confusion. "We're not supposed to tell them we're leaving? What am I supposed to be, in prison? I honestly wasn't told about that." Scott might've forgotten, or something. He turns the car off though, perhaps hes come to his senses? "Let'er in Jono, you should stay up front anyways." He waits until Andrea is fully in the car before he starts her up again, another roar and hes moving forward again. More classic rock, this time hes singing along with Sweet Home Alabama. Alex is practically dancing in his seat. A blink of surprise at Andrea, but Jonothon scoots over. Good thing he's thin for the three of them in the front seat makes close quarters. << You were told. >> To Alex about letting people know. << Whether you listened is another matter. >> To Andrea, he assures, << I told the professor. >> A perk of telepathy. Can't claim Charles is happy about it, but really, what can the man do? This is suppose to be a cruise around the block. Alex dancing has the Brit edging back towards Andrea. Okay, that's weird. Maybe he should have taken the back seat. << What's got you so worried, Gel? >> To Andrea. Andrea has to turn to the side a bit and put her arm up onto the bench seat to get enough room when Jonothon starts edging towards her to get away from Alex's seat-dancing. "I just don't want to see people getting in trouble. I've already had enough stress. I darned near blew up yesterday." Andrea isn't used to having friends. Or the social pressures of being with other teens. Or a thousand other things that are now part of her everyday existence. So ... it's a big adjustment. She's going to make mistakes. "If thats the way it is." Alex pulls out his phone from his pocket, lifting his knee to press aganist the steering wheel as he rapidly texts a message out to someone. "Scott knows we're going out then." It was only for about 20 feet, and his eyes were on the road. It isn't that scary is it? He reachs for the radio and turns it down some, ceasing his enjoyment of the music for a bit. "I heard 'bout that..." To Andrea, of course. << Alex! >> Jonothon protests as he tries to snatch away that phone. << Don't you bloody do that! >> No texting while driving. << I told the professor. Don't you ever listen to anyone? >> Sorry, totally not letting Alex use the phone in the car. << You are insane. >> Of course this doesn't mean he misses what Andrea says, << ..Blow up? >> Gosh, that sounds familiar? << What happened? >> Is it anything like the trouble he has? Not that he's afraid of the girl suddenly. No, there are three explosive people n the car. Everyone has that trouble. Andrea purses her lips, glancing across at Alex, and untenses a bit when Jonothon steals away the phone. No texting and driving, amen! "You keep this car under control, Alex." The Professor has been told? OK. Then ... she'll try to keep her panic under control. But Andrea doesn't really want to talk about yesterday. She holds her silence until Jonothon makes it quite clear he's worried and wants to know. He's her friend. So ... she fesses up. "Ms. Dawn called me a liar. Says she didn't mean to. But I got really upset. Then Oa called me a pampered child and a crybaby." Two guesses how /that/ went over? Given Andrea is older than Oa, and has been working for a living since she was ... months old? And divorced her mother? Yeah. Likely did not go well. "I got upset. Really upset. And apparently ... things go haywire when I do that." "I hear you on that one..." Alex reachs over and just turns the radio completely off. The Impala has made it to the end of that traffic circle, but he doesn't take the left out towards the front gate, instead staying on the circle and continuing to follow it slowly. "I tell myself that I don't really care about other people's words or their actions. It helps me stay rather level, just about all of the time. It has its downfalls, to be sure." So keeping that phone for the time being. Be glad Jonothon isn't the type to send it flying out the window. Alex's words are disturbing and none to rational to the Brit's way of thinking so he focuses in on Andrea instead. He kind of boggles at that being called a cry baby would be that much of an insult, but keeps that to himself. << Know it doesn't help any, but welcome to the club? >> Where you can't get upset, especially not while driving. << You didn't get hurt, did you? >> "My pride. My feelings. Nothing else. I ran to the isolation room and stayed in for a while." Andrea offers simply, reassuringly, to Jonothon. She is aware that her reaction seems 'off' to others. But remember: she has never had friends, or compatriots of her own age before. Or school. or socialization except with adults. And no adult would ever say something like that to a child or teenager they were trying to work with or work around. So it's all new to her. So much is new to her. "Lights out, no sound, no other energy transmissions. So I could calm down without getting overcharged in the process." And yes. She considers Alex's solution to this ... sociopathic, really. Alex keeps going on that gentle turn. Yep...hes the sociopathic one. He eases his arm out the window and just keeps his eyes on the road. His own attempt at joining the conversation has already failed miserably. Must be too normal for these kids, which is crazy considering what he has been there. And his phone got snatched... Jonothon's been down there, but never long. A nod for that Andrea went to the isolation room. He doesn't quite know what she means about over charging, but the Brit doesn't ask. Can guess more than well enough. He's been inside her head a couple times and gotten headaches from how she 'sees' the world. << Glad you weren't hurt. >> Doesn't ask if anyone else was. Thinks rather that no one did he this is the first he's hearing about it. There's a glance to Alex. This is so not the comfortable trip for Jono. << Just don't take what Oa says to heart, okay? Some people just say stuff they don't mean when they get upset. >> "How is it running?" Andrea asks both boys. She can hear it, far better than they can. But she doesn't know what 'right' would sound like, so she can't tell any better than any other non-gear-head girl could. Fun, hunh? It takes education to put those senses to any use. "Thanks. What I can't understand, really, was her other comment. She actually said something about, 'Why do girls have to be drama queens?,' when I got upset and got out of the pool. It ... makes no sense." Note, Andrea does not know about Oa's little secret. There are limits to what she knows. "Its running alright..." Alex furrows his brows at the sudden question. Maybe they're trying to distract him from their conversation, but if they didn't want him to hear they PROBABLY shouldn't have it in his car. "Oa seems a little bit off, to be honest. She asked me to pose for a gay comic book..." Letting Alex answer that, because he'd give the same answer, Jonothon isn't worried about who over hears this. He hasn't even said word one to Oa yet. She ignored him in the lobby. << I don't even know the gel. >> Sorry, he doesn't know her secret either. Does look amused at Alex for that. << What's with you, mate? >> There's some laughter in that. << Posing won't change your sexual orientation. You won't get cooties. >> Sorry, different culture. Doesn't get the whole homophobia thing. << Besides.. you'd be posing for a pretty girl. What's the problem? >> "Jonothon is right. Besides, lots of girls like that sort of thing. Two cute, hunky guys together." Andrea admits. Yeah, she doesn't get the whole homophobia thing either, though she knows it exists. It's not a part of who she is. "How many times have I heard some guy say something about two cute girls together? But you have a problem posing for artwork of two guys together?" Poke. Pokepoke. Let's pop those bubbles, shall we? "I just felt it was a rather strange comment. But I was distracted at the time by what else she had to say." Namely her 'charges' against Andrea. "Its not even that. Guys, I went to school in Cali, two guys kissing isn't going to shock or shake me." Alex eases the car into one of those few parking spots, looking out towards the hedge maze. "Just something seems off about her. But shes here, and I guess Xavier does that weird mind thing on'er..verify and what not." Alex...probably had a weird time with that. << I have to agree about that. >> Something being off about Oa. << I don't think he does that, Alex. >> The professor. << He never has with me. >> Well, Jonothon doesn't actually know that's true or not, but he doesn't believe Charles has. << For me it's just that you keep mentioning the gay issue. Why wouldn't I assume something is wrong when you mention it in the negative a few times? >> Still, the Brit smiles and shrugs. << I only meant to tease you. >> A shrug for Andrea. << First time I saw Oa was in the foyer the other day. Really don't know anything about her other than she can fly in places she shouldn't. >> Andrea shares what little she knows. "Oa is apparently a Japanese transfer student. An artist for a manga - a Japanese comic book. Actually gets paid, apparently. She was also apparently homeless for a while. She can breathe fire. And she made some oblique comments I think imply she may actually have been a prostitute for a time." Andrea is not nearly so sheltered as people think she is. She has seen and heard it all. But there are things she hasn't /experienced/ for herself. Therein lies the rub. "Lily and I encountered her in the cafeteria just a day or so after Lily joined us." Alex Summers puts the Impala into park and shuts it off. "So shes been through quite a bit as well...That really seems to be one of two things we all have in common. Mutants, and having been through some traumatic shit." He twists some and puts his back between the door and the seat, right into the corner so he can face the two of them. "Its crazy that I actually think I'm too normal to fit in here." A glance to Andrea as Alex speaks of being normal. He hasn't said anything since Andrea started telling about Oa. That makes Jonothon uncomfortable too. People shouldn't tell all that stuff for the asking. << Gel.. if someone tells you stuff like this you shouldn't repeat it. >> Not angry, just saying in case Andrea doesn't know. << Really. That's the kind of information that hurts people as it gets around. >> And yes, everyone has their share of trauma. << Mate, you aren't remotely normal. >> To Alex, with a smirk. << Some of the things you say make me want to get someone to check your head. That isn't normal. >> The car is parked, so Alex is given his phone back. Andrea blinks confusedly at Jonothon. What wasn't she supposed to say? "I ... am sorry? I don't know what it was I shouldn't have said. It is all quite observable information. She has made no secret of any of it." Which is true, and odd in and of itself. Andrea is well aware of that fact. But she is not an expert in psychology, and would never hazard a guess what it implies about Oa that she doesn't try to hide any of this. Not really any of her business why. She just deals with it as best she can. "I realize some might think less of her. But she's not that anymore. I'm sure she did what she had to do to survive." And Andrea sees no stigma in it. Which probably makes her weird. But that's the way she is. "I don't think you're 'too normal', Alex. I don't think any of us are, really." Maybe someone like Jean or Warren is 'too normal'. But Alex? No way. "Thats just the way I feel about this place sometimes. Its so small...which isn't such a bad thing, but everythings at your fingertips, ready for you to make a big decision with your life and carry it out." Alex reachs down and pulls handle of the seat, letting it ease back and he slides back with it. "Its been, what? A month maybe? My brothers safe and alive and I don't have to keep learning the same things I was trying to teach myself, or be ready to do some crazy shit as soon as I turned 18. I'm fucking lost as to whats next now. Graduate? Go to college?" Wow...Tangent much. "I'm sorry, but just because she states it to you, doesn't mean you should say it to us. I've shot my mouth off about my family stuff too much already, it seems. I wouldn't like the people who heard it repeating it. Maybe she doesn't mind, but can you absolutely know that for positive?" << But it's not for you to repeat it, even if she told you. >> Jonothon says gently, agreeing with Alex. And people wonder why he tells so little of himself to others. Not the type to think less of Oa for this news, he sure knows others might. Then he reaches over Andrea to open the passenger side door. Time to get out! He so needs some room. Should Andrea move, he just steps away from the car to stand near at hand. Psy-fire flickers into being around his chest and shoulders. Didn't want to do that in the car. << I don't think any of us are comfortable here. >> Much less know where you are going next. At least he doesn't. Andrea merely shrugs a bit, and slides out when the door is opened, stepping aside to make room for Jonothon to emerge. "I doubt most our ages really know what we're going to do next. I suppose I'll keep working, but on what, and where, I have no idea. I'd like to get a real school education, not just the GED." Which she already has, actually. "And I think I'd enjoy going to college. But I don't know what else the future holds for me." She'd like to learn to do things like She-Hulk and others are doing: saving lives and making the world a better place. But can she really do it? Can she? "Being here, like this. Kids my own age. School. Friends for the first time in my life. It's all new to me." "Friends...yeah..." This said to Alex himself in the Impala, alone now. But he shrugs his shoulders and steps out of the car as well, crossing his arms over the canopy to look over at the other two. "I had plans on busting somebody out of a prison, not studying in some college or something." Jonothon just eyes Alex for that. No, that he doesn't believe. Riiight. << Christ. >> So not sure what to say here, which leads to an awkward silence from the Brit. << I'm going to go inside and wash up properly. Cheers. >> When in doubt, run away! That's what Jono does. Even if he is walking. "You were going to bust someone out of prison? Whatever for, Alex?" Andrea cannot help but ask. Not that she really expects he'll tell her the truth. But she can't help wondering. She also can't help but notice Jonothon retreating. But ... she does not give chase. That never goes well. Let him go, and maybe they can talk again another time. Or, maybe not. Only time will tell, right? "Theres only one person I really care about in the world. You can't figure out who I'd break out of prison, Andrea?" Alex looks across the top of his car towards her. "I'm not supposed to talk about it, hes sensitive about. And it wasn't a prison, really. It was a torture camp." So not sticking around for this. Jonothon doesn't want to hear about Alex breaking someone out of prison, or anything else. Going to go inside now. Andrea glances towards Alex. "I've only known you a few weeks. I have no idea if there's anyone else in the world you'd break out of prison, Alex." But the thought of Scott - or anyone - in a torture camp clearly makes her blanche and tremble. Did anyone notice the sun slipping behind a cloud? It's getting dim, all of a sudden. "My God ..." "Its Scott. Hes my burden, my guilt and my shame." Alex's elbows plant gently, avoiding the rust patch in the center of the canopy. "Thats the furtherest anyone knows. I blurted it out in front of a bunch of people and he was so....so embarrassed or something." A hand presses aganist his cheek and his flit upwards to the sky. "I do what I can....it was just a surprise to see him out and about.." Andrea faces away from the school's front entrance, that lovely porch, instead facing Alex who is leaning back against the side and hood of the rusted, primer-covered Impala that he just test-drove, now parked a bit away from the garage, nose towards the hedge maze. Jonothon has just evacuated, heading likely for his room. The two are talking, rather than shouting. It's not very loud. "He is nothing and no one to be guilty or ashamed of." Andrea offers, though she knows in her heart Alex is teasing, making fun. "I can't say I remotely understand." she comments, but her voice is getting softer. Or, wait. No. It's that all sounds are fading a bit. And the sunlight is fading as well. That's not just a cloud passing in front of the sun. The radio in the car crackles and fades out, unable to get a signal. Though Alex won't recognize the signs - no one would - it seems Andrea's ramped-up emotions are setting off her haywire silly powers. "You don't get it, Andrea." Alex looks away from Andrea, away from the mansion and all of that. "He is amazing, just like our dad. Proud, stern and unwavering. I'm ashamed...." He turns and faces completely away now, back agaist the driver's side door of the Impala. "I left him there, Andrea." She can't see the quiver in his lower lip, but she'd definitely be able to hear it. Of course, Andrea /can/ see Alex's lip quivering. And hear it. Darn those senses of hers. She takes a step towards Alex, wanting somehow to comfort him, to ease his pain. But despite her worldly-wise young wisdom, she does not know what to say, or how to help. All she can do is stand behind him, her own emotions flaring wildly and her powers with them. It's almost dark now. Cellphones in the mansion are losing signal. Anyone remember reading about the 'blackout' that sucked in much of Lower Manhattan for about two minutes two months ago? Yeah. Hi. Scott opens the front door and steps outside, eying his cell phone and trying to find a signal. "Oh, hello. Alex, can you check your cell phone? Mine isn't working for some reason." He then starts to catch on, "Is something wrong?" Concern in his tone. He looks between the two of you, likely wondering what is going on. Uh-oh. Now the man who everyone is talking about is here. Alex turns around and snags his phone out of his pocket. "Yeah...mine is a bit off too." Of course, he still looks sad. And his voice is rather strained. Something wrong? "Nothings wrong. Just something I'm rather used to, ya'know, rejection." He glances over towards Andrea with a rather significant gaze. Voices are muted. Not gone entirely, but strongly muted. And it's getting dusk-like dark out, despite being mid-afternoon and not a cloud in the sky. Andrea can see Scott, knew he was coming even though she said nothing. Maybe that is actually part and parcel of what is and has been ramping up her own emotional turmoil. She meets Alex's gaze, and says nothing. Not to Scott, or to Alex. She ... will try to learn not to share the things others do not wish shared. But it's not easy. Scott doesn't know who to side with at this point. On one hand he wants to compilment Andrea on her taste and tell Alex to clean up his language and attitude. On the other hand, he wants to tell Andrea she can't do better than his little brother, she's losing out. So he keeps silent, as he thinks either option would likely be a bad one, so he selects the third: Keep mouth shut. So he is silent for a while. He knows something is very, very wrong. "Right, so who won that last baseball game? I missed it." Epic fail. See, Scott is only practically perfect, that is what Joan says. "The car runs...kind of." Alex jumps in to save poor dear brother. Hes making things even awkward...I mean, Alex asked out a famous movie star, what sort of response did he expect? "I think the radiator is about to fall out of it though, there was this constant rattling." The phone of his is tucked back into his pocket and he glances back towards Andrea...just wondering when shes going to come out of this strange silence shes fallen into. Just a furrow of the brow though, for Alex. Its like hes drowning...underwater, with sound reaching him in strange tones. The phone that didn't quite make it into his pocket gets dropped onto the asphalt. "Annddrreaaa?" His jaw tightens at the weirdness of his own voice. Quickly, his feet carry him around the front of the car and he reachs out to squeeze upon Andrea's shoulder. "I think somethings going on." Even quieter now...and darker over here. "Oh, I didn't notice Alex." The quietness of his voice, the sense of distance. "How about we opt for calmness." He doesn't want a repeat of Jono's blow up. "Do you need to go to the sub-levels Andrea, to relax?" He doesn't have passage to the sub-level Andrea does, but he knows about it. He makes a motion for Alex to step away from Andrea for his own saftey. He again, doesn't want a repeat of what happened with Jono. His expression is stern when he looks toward Alex, wanting him safe and sound. He was hoping to diffuse the situation, not point it out and wiggle his finger at Andrea. Apparently, that is not going to happen by a long shot. Andrea looks up, meeting Alex's gaze as that hand closes on her shoulder. She can still 'hear' and 'see' Scott, and realizes she has lost control of things. "Alex ... Scott ... close your eyes. Close them, and cover your ears." She tries, hard, to make it loud enough to warn them. She had thought she could stop it. But now, just as she is stopping the draw, just as it is letting up to let in light and sound again ... she's full to bursting. She's clenching her fists, holding on for dear life. And she just knows she's going to have to let it out. She's not going to make it to the sub-level today. Crud. "Thats generaly not a good thing to hear." Alex is talking to himself of course, while hes backing up then turning around to face away from Andrea and walking swiftly away. It would seem like a good idea now to know what everyone's power is so he can know what to do when things get crazy... Scott takes Andrea at her word, and moves quickly toward Alex. "Do as she says," he orders sharply as if used to being obeyed. As Alex didn't move to cover his eyes or ears. Not that Scott can be blinded anyway, considering he has laser beams coming out of his eyes! Well, not exactly laser beams, but they look like it. If Alex covers his ears immediately, Scott will cover his own. But if Alex doesn't, Scott will opt to cover his brother's ears over his own. Andrea holds on, clinging desperately to the edge of discomfort becoming real pain, until at last she cannot hold any longer. She has given the guys all the time she can. Now ... she has to let go. Neither is watching, then, as she turns, performing a smooth dancing step as her arms sweep up to point at a forty-or-so degree angle up into the heavens. A warping shimmer courses up along her body and passes along her arms ... and then ripples away. And about twenty feet up into the air, there is an explosion. An explosion of light, of sound, of radio static and even electrical sparks. It's like a pair of military grade flashbang grenades with an extra kick of a low-grade EMP. Andrea pants, breathless, as she lowers herself to her knees, wrapping her arms around her midsection. The energy is gone. Now, she lies far closer to empty than she almost ever is, and it makes her weak and disoriented, even her senses mildly distorted and harder to focus. Yeah. It probably would be a good idea to start briefing everyone in the Mansion on everyone else's powers. For crises just like this one. Oops. Alex manages to get his fingers dug into his ears before that 'whump' strikes him across his back and tumbles him onto his knees. Its....so overpowering, bright white light even through his eyelids. A few ragged breaths though...and it all passes. He doesn't know here Scott is, he had already turned his back on that whole craziness. Its the drive to never be beaten down that raises Alex shakily to his feet and he turns to squint behind him to see what happened. The bright light doesn't bother Scott, but the sound does. It isn't as bad as Ruckas' scream, but it still isn't pleasent to say the least. He managed to get his fingers in his own ears the last second when he sees Alex working to cover his own. Scott managed to keep to his feet, but he felt the shock of it. He soon lowers his hands from his ears and shakes his head, trying to regain his sense of balance and dislodge the ringing. Not happening anytime soon, that's for sure (least getting rid of the ringing). "Wow." That's his comment, and he is sticking to it. Andrea remains on her knees, lowering her head, panting as her body tries to regain some measure of equillibrium. It wasn't the biggest boom she has ever released. That was the one she fired off at the Hydra troopers after blacking out Lower Manhattan two months ago. But it's close, and she's wobbly, so on her knees, head down, is the best place for her other than stretched out. Thankfully, none of the electronics should have been damaged, beyond temporary power outages and loss of signal for a while. Alex Summers takes a step, then another stumbly step back, past Alex, towards Andrea. He wobbles next to her before thudding to his knees again, still a bit shaken. His hand moves and rests gently upon her back as he shakes his head. "I'm never asking you out again." Yep. THATS the story. And he sticking to it. The backup power likely turns on within Xavier's so that lights soon flicker back on. "Alex! Don't say that to a girl." Alright, he's defending Andrea on that one. Scott also moves over and offers a hand down to Andrea. "Would you like to go inside and sit? Perhaps something to drink?' Gentlemanly behavior and a show of compassion and care. That's Scott for you. Andrea lifts her head only slightly to glance at Alex, a tad non-plussed. He what? But before she can really object or question, Scott is offering a hand. "I ... I think I'd like ... like to get up, and go lay down." Which means she reaches up with two hands to take that hand he offers, and works a bit to struggle up to her feet. "I'm ... sorry, about that." She usually as a bit more control than all of that. Darned teen hormones and rampant emotions! Alex waits until Anrea raises to his feet he regains his hand, and glances back towards the Impala. Yeah...its all sitll there. Good thing too. His hands slide down and brush across the knees of his jeans in the aftermath. Scott, being the Knight - as Joan calls him - that he is, says gently, "Pardon me," and moves to actually lift Andrea into his arms to carry her. "Go ahead and open the front door Alex. Let's get her to the guest room." Scott moves to step up the porch steps and to enter the school with Alex's help. Andrea gives a little eep as she is scooped up so elegantly. She's rather sizable for most guys to do that with any grace. Proof that Scott is definitely the sort of guy that teenaged girls' hearts go all pitterpat over. Le swoon. "Uhm. Thank you?" she offers, a bit shyly. Sorry again, seems written on her face.